Finding objects in the middle of the night or in an otherwise darkened or darkened space is difficult without turning on a lamp or other light source. After a light switch is located and turned on, the lamp typically provides an unnecessary excess of illumination. This excess light can flood the surrounding area with light, can be obtrusive to other persons in the room, and can cause discomfort to a person whose eyes are not prepared to receive excessive light.
A person with impaired vision can experience additional problems or inconvenience when attempting to locate objects in a darkened or darkened space. Poor eyesight that engenders the need to wear eyeglasses can be the root cause of such impaired vision. Many people who rely on eyeglasses on a daily basis find it challenging to locate eyeglasses on a bedside table or to locate a switch to turn on a bedside lamp when waking in the middle of the night. Also, the particular eye sensitivity that one experiences when waking in a dark room and immediately being exposed to excessive light can be another source of impaired, albeit generally temporary, vision.
What is needed is a lighting apparatus that, preferably, provides unobtrusive or passive lighting, is easily powered on and off, and that can illuminate items on or near such apparatus. The unobtrusive or passive lighting serves as a beacon to direct the user toward a sought object while preserving a comfort level by not exposing the user's eye to excessive lighting.